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GOAL LINE TECHNOLOGY AT 2014 WORLD CUP

admin

7th December 2011

The World Players’ Union FIFPro has welcomed the decision made by FIFA to use goal line technology at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. FIFPro hopes that this will lead to future greater use of technology to aid the game.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter speaking to Spanish sports newspaper El Mundo Deportivo commented “Brazil 2014 will have technology to avoid phantom goals. FIFA has two good systems that meet all the demands we set:reliability, immediacy and not being difficult to use.”

FIFPro is delighted at the introduction of this goal line technology as it has always been an advocate of it. In the opinion of the players, the use of this technology does not detract from the human aspect of the game as it relates to non debatable judgements (whether the ball is over the line or not). Therefore there is no additional unwanted stoppages and decisions are specific to the most essential objective of football which is scoring goals.

Tijs Tummers, secretary of FIFPro’s Technical Committee said “this a great step in the right direction but we must realise that goal line technology does not bring an end to dubious decisions in football matches. This measure will only resolve a few of the debatable decisions. That is why FIFPro asks FIFA-now that FIFA is convinced of the necessity of goal line technology-to carry out serious experiments to see how video replays can also be used in other game situations in the future.”

At present FIFA is testing nine goal line technology systems with a final decision expected by July 2012. The International Football Association Board (IFAB), football’s law making body is due to assess the results of the current testing phase in March 2012 at a meeting in London.

Thereafter the companies who meet FIFA’s strict criteria are then expected to be asked to a second phase of tests between March and June before the IFAB meets to vote on the issue in July. The IFAB is composed of the English, Irish, Welsh and Scottish FA’s-who all receive one vote while FIFA which acts on behalf of the rest of the world has four votes.